Seventeen
by Franky
Summary: My first Marauder fic, set at the start of MWPP's final year at Hogwarts, hence the title... CHAPTER 2 UP
1. Marauders train time

A/N: Chapter 3 is here!!! Thanks Kaylin for your reminder that Lily Potter is not Lily Potter but Lily Evans in this story, so sorry 4 the error in chapter 2. Hope y'all like this story so far REVIEW PLEASE!!!! Thanx luv Franky. Sorry this took aaaggggeeeesss!!! Short chapter, long one coming soon.  
  
"Well you three, what have you got to say for yourselves?" Dumbledore said, with a mock sternness in his voice, to the three boys standing before him in his office. Sirius looked at Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling.  
  
"Um…sorry?"  
  
"Oh, I wish I could believe you but I know I can't, Sirius." Dumbledore smiled, "I suppose I am right in assuming that this year will be just as eventful as the last where you three are concerned?" The marauders said nothing, but they couldn't stop grinning. Dumbledore sighed, but he was still smiling, "Well if you have to continue your reign of terror, couldn't you be more careful not to get caught? It would be nice for the head boy and his friends to show a good example to the school."  
  
"Yes, sir, rely on us!" James grinned.  
  
"But it's O.K." Remus smiled.  
  
"Everyone loves us already!" Sirius said, Dumbledore laughed.  
  
"Well…the girls certainly love Sirius, with his growing fan club I'm sure he could be distracted by thing other than pranks this year, such as-" James started.  
  
"Alright, Potter, Black, out! Both of you, I want to talk to Mr. Lupin for a minute, so you can wait outside." Dumbledore said firmly. James and Sirius grinned at Dumbledore, waved at Remus, and went out.  
  
"You boys…" said Dumbledore, motioning for Remus to sit down as he sat down too, "What will I do with you?"  
  
"I don't know sir." Remus sat down, and smiled faintly.  
  
"Remus, I know it's been difficult for you this summer, your parents were friends of mine, and we will all miss them greatly. None more than you will, I'm afraid."  
  
"Yes sir." Remus hung his head.  
  
"But I want you to know that you're not alone in the world. I don't want you to feel isolated or think that you have to change the way you've been living because you don't. I've already spoken to your Uncle, and he's quite happy to have you to stay after your graduation if you want to." Dumbledore said.  
  
"It's O.K. I'll be fine." Dumbledore saw the pride in the boy's eyes as he looked up.  
  
"And you're always welcome to use the shrieking shack for full moons."  
  
"Thank You." Remus said.  
  
"Well, that's all I wanted to say, so you can go." Remus got up and began to leave, as he reached the door, Dumbledore called out:  
  
"Take care of yourself Remus, and do try and do well in the N.E.W.T.s this year, although I've no doubt you will." Dumbledore smiled, Remus smiled back, said goodnight, and left. Sirius and James waited for him behind the door.  
  
"What was that about?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Nothing…" Remus said, and they walked back to the common room in silence. Remus climbed into bed fully clothed and pulled the curtains shut. James looked worriedly at Sirius, and they both went silently to get changed. 


	2. Enemies=distress. Friends=fun.

Seventeen: Chapter 2.  
  
A/N: Here is chapter 2, in which the Marauders arrive back at Hogwarts, and so do their enemies.  
  
  
  
Chapter 2: Arrival at Hogwarts.  
  
James and Sirius cheered as the train slowed down. All three of the Marauders had changed into their robes, and were anticipating a good feast when they reached the castle.  
  
"So, Mr Head-boy, what's it going to be? Chicken or Roast Beef?" Sirius leered at James as the train stopped at Hogsmeade.  
  
"BOTH!" James grinned as the three boys clambered from the front of the train and sprinted up to the first carriage and climbed in. It jolted and began its journey through the castle gates and up the driveway. Sirius, Remus, and James were the first people into the castle, they had run so fast to the carriages the minute the train had stopped, no-one else was even off the train!  
  
"Ah, our last year of terrorizing Hogwarts, eh Moony?" James grinned, "race you to the entrance hall!" And they were off. Tearing up the steps like Olympic runners. It was no good, though, Remus was the fastest runner in the school, despite being shorter and a lot skinnier than James, and he skidded to a halt three seconds before James.  
  
"Hello Hogwarts!" James yelled, and his voice bounced off the walls, creating an echo.  
  
"HELLO HOGWARTS!" Sirius yelled as he entered the entrance hall.  
  
"HELLO-" Remus yelled, but was cut off by a stern-looking Professor Mcgonagall coming out of the great hall and yelling herself.  
  
"You three will NEVER change, year after year, greeting us with your foghorn voices. I appreciate you wish to express your joy at returning to us, but couldn't you do it, well, quietly."  
  
"Don't worry Professor, we'll be off to be Aurors in a year, right Remy?" Sirius said.  
  
"Right, and you can get some quiet." Remus said, smiling innocently.  
  
"Just another year, that's all." James piped up.  
  
"Mr Potter, I won't pretend-" Mcgonagall began, but stopped when the thundering footsteps of the rest of the school were heard on the driveway. "I must go! Now mind you three stay out of trouble and turn up on time for Transfiguration on Monday!" She yelled as she ran off to fetch the first years from the lake.  
  
"My. My. My, I see the beast has dared to show his face this year." A smooth voice whispered in Remus' ear. He spun around to see Severus Snape and his friends Narcissa and Lucius.  
  
"What do you want?" Remus frowned, speaking in the bravest voice he could muster.  
  
"Nothing from you, I just thought that you wouldn't show your face around here. You know, now you're parentless you've no-one to support you, you're just Dumbledore's charity case, a pet project, you might say." Severus smiled evilly. Remus hear Sirius growl and felt James bristle with anger beside him. He put out his arm to stop them, smiled coolly, looked Snape right in the eyes and said:  
  
"I suppose you know a lot about being parentless. After all, your parents must be pretty busy, out every night performing killings behind masks, too cowardly to duel, and then basking in their master's power. You musn't see them that often, or are you out there with them?" And with that he turned and walked straight into the entrance hall.  
  
James and Sirius stared after Remus.  
  
"Don't give him bother, Snape, don't even try, if you say one more thing like that about Remus I'll-"  
  
"What Black? Make cool comments then run away crying? Oh, didn't you see the tears, or were you too busy eyeing up Narcissa?" Severus smiled smugly at Sirius, and followed Remus into the great hall. Sirius gaped after him  
  
"Eyeing up Narcissa? Yuck, I have-"  
  
"Sirius, don't you think we should be thinking of someone else right now?" James asked.  
  
"Oh yeah, come on Prongs."  
  
**********  
  
Sirius and James slid into the seats on either side of remus, who was sitting with his head buried in his arms.  
  
"Remus?"  
  
"What?" came the muffled reply.  
  
"Remus, you were awesome, you really showed Severus." James said.  
  
"He's right, don't let Severus get to you, he's just a slimy git who has no respect for anyone." Sirius said.  
  
"Moony, please don't cry." James pleaded.  
  
"I'm not crying." Remus's head came away from his arms, his hair his his face as a he rubbed his cheeks quickly but his friends knew he definetly had been crying. "Really, I'm O.K. So when are we going to do this prank, then?"  
  
"What prank?" A curious Lily Evans appeared beside a very nervous and embarrassed James.  
  
Luckily, at that moment, Dumbledore stood up to speak and there was quiet in the hall.  
  
"Welcome, to a new year at Hogwarts, a new year of hard work and learning, and a new year of fun and laughter." Dumbledore smiled and looked meaningfully at Sirius, James and Remus. What he didn't see was the three wands under the table and what he didn't hear was the muttering from the three boys mouths.  
  
"I hope that this year is a good and fruitful year for all of you, in your own ways, now let the feast begin." But before Dumbledore could clap his hands to summon the food, their was a crack from above, everybody stared up at the enchanted ceiling. It was stormy, but the sky was green and the clouds were pink, blue, and yellow. There was an almighty rumble, and without any other warning it began to rain Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans. They cascaded down, showering the screaming, laughing and yelling pupils and the amused or disgruntled teachers. The marauders merely smiled, tilted their heads back, and let the sweetness fill their mouths.  
  
A/N: REVIEW!!!! PLEASE!!!!  
  
OK so it wos awful, but please be moderately nice. 


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